By Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Seoul held the 3rd Korean-German Climate and Environment Conference on August 24 at the Conrad Hotel Seoul, South Korea. Under the theme of “Decarbonization in the Industry - Solutions for Carbon Neutrality in Industry Sector”, the event marked a significant milestone in fostering cross-border cooperation to address pressing environmental challenges. The conference drew the participation of more than 70 key officials and experts fro
By Lee Kap-soo On the occasion of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day in 2023, the government granted special pardons to 2,176 people, including scores of business tycoons and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, special consideration prisoners. Among the beneficiaries are such conglomerate chairmen as Park Chan-koo, honorary chairman of Kumho Petrochemical Group; Lee Joong-keun, founder of Booyoung Group; and Chong Kun Dang Chairman Rhee Jang-han. The special pardons will legally take effect at the beginning of Aug. 15, the Liberation Day anniversary that commemorates the end of Japan's 1910-
By Kim Ji-eun The Korean government handed over emergency relief supplies to the Hawaii state government suffering from damage from the fires on Maui island on August 16. Consul-General of the Republic of Korea to Honolulu Lee Seo Young handed over the Korean government’s emergency relief items, including bottled water, food, blankets, and generators, to Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke at the Hawaii State Capitol in downtown Honolulu at 11:00 on August 16, local time. The fires on Maui island have left 106 people dead, the largest loss of life in Hawaii since it became the 50th state of the Un
By Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol attended Saemangeum Second Battery Investment Agreement Ceremony held at the Saemangeum Convention Center in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do on Aug. 2. Saemangeum has been emphasized by the President as a place for swift project implementation, and during his candidacy, he referred to it as the future of Jeollabuk-do, the West Coast, and South Korea. Before the investment agreement ceremony, the President visited the exhibition hall to learn about LS, a participating company, and its products. President Yoon engaged in a conversation with LS representatives while ex
By Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno in Seoul on Aug. 1, asking for the Central American country's support for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. According to Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon, both leaders discussed development of bilateral ties and stronger practical cooperation. Prime Minister Briceno visited Korea at the invitation of the Busan city government. Welcoming the Belizean leader on his second trip to the country in two months since the first in May, President Yoon said, "More Korean tourists are visiting Belize,
By Anna Kim The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), dispatched to Canada on July 2 to support the suppression of wildfires therein, left Canada on August 1, local time, and arrived in Korea on August 2 after a month of firefighting operations in the country. Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to the KDRT aboard a Korean transport aircraft and extended appreciation to Korea, saying that all Canadians were moved by Korea’s dispatch of the KDRT at a time when Canada was facing difficulties due to its worst-ever wildfires. Taking a tour of the aircraft cabin, the Prime Mi
By Reporter Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol had a meeting with Xavier Bettel, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, exchanging views on the development of bilateral relations, enhancing substantial cooperation, and discussing the international situation on July 25. The President welcomed Prime Minister Bettel's visit to Korea during the meaningful year of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. He expressed gratitude for Luxembourg's historical contribution as the only foreign combat unit dispatched to the Korean War, safeguarding South Korea's freedom and democracy. Both leaders agree
By Reporter Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol met with New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro on July 25 and engaged in extensive discussions regarding ways to enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries. In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement this year, President Yoon thanked Governor-General Kiro for his visit to Korea and also thanked New Zealand veterans for their sacrifice and dedication. Both President Yoon and Governor-General Kiro evaluated the strong cooperative relationship between traditionally friendly nations, Korea and New Zealand, b
By Reporter Lee jon young held a summit with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on July 12, on the occasion of his attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit. President Yoon emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in advanced industries, including laser technology and biotechnology, between the two countries. President Nausėda expressed his agreement and showed a desire to expand cooperation with globally renowned Korean companies in the semiconductor and display industries, particularly showing great interest in Korean-made autonomous weapons systems, which have r
By Reporter Kayla lee Diplomacy Journal, Reporter Kim Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol held an informal meeting with Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová on July 12, coinciding with his attendance at the NATO Summit, to discuss bilateral relations and measures for strengthening substantive cooperation. President Yoon acknowledged the close and significant development of bilateral relations, especially with over 130 Korean companies expanding into Slovakia, leading to deepened economic cooperation between the two countries. He requested President Čaputová's interest and support for the smooth activiti
Ambassador Song In-chang, the Sherpa for the G20, participated in the '3rd G20 Sherpa Meeting' held from July 13 to 16 in Hampi, India. At this meeting, representatives from G20 member countries and nine invited guest countries as well as major international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) attended, and substantive work on the drafting of the official G20 declaration to be announced at the G20 Summit in September began in earnest. The nine invited guest countries for 2023 are Spain, Singapore, Ban
By Reporter Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol, who made an official visit to Poland, held a summit with President Andrzej Duda of Poland at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on July 13 (local time) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation for Ukraine's reconstruction. In a joint press statement after the meeting, President Yoon stated, "We also agree that Korea and Poland can be optimal partners in Ukraine's reconstruction" and expressed confidence that the infrastructure cooperation and MOU on Ukraine's reconstruction signed between the two countries would serve as a soli
By Reporter Anna Kim The government held a Public-Private Joint Council for Overseas Emergency Relief, chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, on June 29. The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) arrives in Ottawa, Canada, on Nov. 2 (local time) to help fight the wildfires in Canada. In the meeting, the government decided to dispatch a 151-member KDRT consisting of people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korea Forest Service, the National Fire Agency, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), as well as medical personnel, and discussed specific plans for the dispat
By Reporter Anna Kim President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee met with delegates from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) at the "Busan World Expo Official Reception" event held at the Isere-Mulino Sports Center near Paris, France on June 21. The official reception, which is held only once per candidate country until the vote to decide the host country for the 2030 World Expo, invites delegates from all BIE member countries and is organized by the government and the private sector to showcase Korea's bid for the World Expo and promote the appeal of Busan. In his welcoming
By Reporter Anna Kim The 'Paris Digital Vision Forum was held to discuss the direction of digital norms and explore global cooperation with leading European scholars as the establishment of ethical norms for artificial intelligence has become a global hot topic due to the spread of ChatGPT. President Yoon Suk-yeol has already raised the need for a new digital order and called for the establishment of digital norms through a global public forum at the New York University Digital Vision Forum and the UN in September last year, and has since gradually materialized through the B20 Summit, Dubai Fu